BU LLETI N 



OF THE 



Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. 



VOLUME V. NO III. 



The Mills Collection of Fresh-Water Sponges 



David S. Kellicott, Ph. D. 



The fresh-water sponges in the collection of the lamented 

 Henry Mills were placed in my hands many months ago with 

 the understanding that a representative set of specimens would 

 be selected and prepared for the Buffalo Society of Natural Scien- 

 ces. After what may seem an unnecessarily long delay, I sub- 

 mit, at my earliest convenience, the specimens with a record of 

 such date as I am able to gather. In as much as all the species 

 as yet identified from the vicinity of Buffalo prove to be repre- 

 sented, I have added such facts as have come to my know- 

 ledge, concerning the discovery, occurrence and distribution of 

 each species, thus making an annotated list of the fresh-water 

 sponges thus far discovered in this neighborhood. 



The region about Buffalo bay and the Niagara river afford 

 almost ideal conditions for the life and growth of fresh-water 

 animals. Its richness is even yet scarcely appreciated. The 

 outlet of the American fresh-water ocean remains at almost a 

 constant level. It is not like so many lesser American rivers, 

 a mere thread of heated water in summer and a flood of tilt 

 in winter and spring. Neither storm nor season greatly dis- 



